[2] The boat was discovered by an Australian Customs and Border Protection Service surveillance plane 109 nautical miles (202 km) south of Java at about 3:00 pm AWST.
[2] Australian authorities then began to prepare to respond when the boat would enter their territory, but it capsized before leaving Indonesian waters.
[2] Australian Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare stated that the prospect of finding additional survivors was "increasingly grim", due to rough seas.
[2] Human traffickers often disable their boats once they have entered Australian waters and send out distress calls to have their "cargo" picked up.
In a statement, the U.N. refugee agency said the tragedy "reinforces the need for renewed international solidarity and cooperation to find protection options for people".